


Unexpected

by Aranei



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 03:10:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12379695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aranei/pseuds/Aranei
Summary: A trip to the A&E brings a big surprise.For Merlin Mpreg Fest 2017Trope: Unexpected birth/labor





	Unexpected

Gwen smiled nervously and Morgana sipped her wine as they watched Merlin devour a small trifle, a slice of banoffee pie and a chocolate eclair. And that was after eating a large sandwich. It was hard to believe that just a few months ago he had been a thin boy and they were concerned. 

Merlin looked up to see them watching him closely. “What?”

Gwen reached out to put a hand on his forearm. “Merlin sweetie, you know we love you?”

He looked between the two of them instantly on alert. “Yeah?”

“We are concerned about you.” Gwen gave him an apologetic look.

Merlin looked about to see if he could make it to the door before Morgana but he thought her more likely to throw her shoe. “There’s nothing to be concerned about.”

Gwen shifted in her chair, clearly uncomfortable. “Oh Merlin.”

Morgan leaned forward placing her wine glass on the table. Watching Gwen try to broach the subject had been painful and she couldn’t take another minute. “What Gwen is trying to delicately say is that you’ve let yourself go.”

Merlin gaped at her for a moment. “I know I’ve put on a little weight but weren’t you the one who told me I needed to.”

Morgana cut him off before he could say more. “A stone is a little weight and you know I meant some muscle. You’ve put on more like 3 stones in the last few weeks.”

“Sweetie, I know it’s been hard since Arthur left,” Gwen started.

“I am well over Arthur,” Merlin defended. “He made his choice and I’m sure that he and Uther will be happy together.”

Morgana smirked at the idea of her brother and father as a couple. “Fine. We acknowledge that this has nothing to do with he who shall not be mentioned. But you have to admit Merlin, you’ve put on a bit of weight.”

“I’ve already admitted I have put on a little weight,” Merlin said with a touch of annoyance.

Gwen rubbed his arm, “We are just worried and thought we could offer you our expertise.”

“Expertise?” He questioned.

Gwen looked a bit offended. “We work hard to keep our figures, watching what we eat and exercising. I didn’t order a salad because I wanted.”

Merlin rolled his eyes, “Look, I know you care but really, it’s just a little weight.”

Morgana fixed him with a glare, “Are you or are you not wearing elastic waist pants?”

Merlin flushed a bit red, “You aren’t going to let this go are you?”

Gwen squeezed his arm again, “It’s just because we care.”

Merlin picked up his napkin and wiped his face. “Fine, what do you want me to do?”

Morgana smiled, “Don’t worry. We’ll start slow. Taking walks in the park.”

“And starting tonight I am going to teach you how to cook more than spaghetti so that you don’t have to order as much take-away,” Gwen gave him an excited smile.

Merlin plastered a smile on his face but inside he wanted to run, well waddle away, really fast.  
………………

 

The trip to the Tescos with Gwen had gone like he thought it would. She made him buy carrot sticks, broccoli and whole wheat bread. He wasn’t opposed to them and actually ate his veggies on a regular basis but, she wouldn’t let him buy ice cream or frozen pizza. She did relent on a package of biscuits and pudding cups. When they were done they walked it back to his and she taught him to cook a salmon steak.

It was Morgana who came over on Tuesday. They made curry spiced chicken and asparagus before taking a walk in the park. On Thursday it was Gwen teaching him to cook flank steak with rosemary potatoes. By brunch on Sunday Merlin had to admit that he was feeling a bit better after cutting back on the sugar. Morgana smiled at him as she said, “Good, that’s just step one.” That evening Morgana taught him how to make a salad more like a meal. He complained the whole way. He was hardly going to confess that he actually enjoyed it, not when she already had a smug look on her face. 

It was only the second week but Merlin was really liking the cooking lessons. He had to concede that Morgana and Gwen did know what they were talking about. Tuesday was a foray into grains. Morgana showed him how to make quinoa and tabouli as well as the some of the things you could do with hummus. On Wednesday he even tried making a veggie omelet on his own. Thursday with Gwen was curry. It wasn’t exactly as decadent as the stuff from the Thai restaurant but it was good. 

Saturday was supposed to be fun. Merlin was going to meet Gwen at the park for a morning walk. Then they were going to go for lunch and from there meet Morgana at the big farmer’s market. That morning, however, he awoke with a backache, burnt his breakfast and when he stepped on his new scale (a gift from Morgana), was shocked to discover that he had actually gained a couple of pounds. Sighing, he slipped on a hoodie and sweatpants with a pair of trainers and headed out. 

The walk to the park seemed to take forever and the paracetamol he took was doing nothing for his back. By the time he arrived he was ready to go back home and lay down. Gwen suggested that they walk over to The Coffee Hut. “Perhaps you just need some calories and a little rest.”

Merlin agreed but had walked no more than ten feet when he said, “Gwen, I really don’t feel good.”

She guided him to the nearest bench. “As soon as you feel you can move, I’ll take you home.”

Merlin practically fell onto the bench as his legs seemed to give out. “Ok,” he said breathlessly. 

Gwen looked at him with real concern. Merlin was always pale but she had never seen him quite so drained of color. “Do you want me to get you some water?”

“No,” he said before he leaned over the side of the bench and emptied his stomach. He then wrapped his arms around his middle and made a truly pitiful noise.

“Oh Merlin.” Gwen pulled a napkin out of her pocket and wiped his face. “Are you feeling better?” She held a hand to his forehead because she honestly didn’t know what else to do. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be running a fever.

Merlin tried to pull in on himself keeping his arms tightly wrapped around his middle as he doubled over. He closed his eyes and squeezed his face in a grimace. “No. Hurts.”

Gwen stared at him for a short moment taking in his countenance, color and the sweat on his face. She was close to calling an ambulance when Merlin seemed to come around. It took a bit of arguing, but Gwen talked Merlin in to going to hospital. He refused an ambulance so she maneuvered him to her car with lots work. The drive took all she had a she had sped through the streets and drove thru one red light. After they arrived the nurses forced her into the waiting room and told her they couldn’t tell her anything except that they had contacted Merlin’s emergency contact. Gwen tried calling Merlin’s mother but she didn’t answer. She could only assume that Hunith was rushing to get here. She then called the only person she could think to call. 

Morgana was a marvel. She was beautiful, rich, always perfectly turned out and apparently possessed of magical powers. What should have taken the average person 45 minutes to an hour took Morgana 22 minutes. She entered the A&E like a whirlwind and attempted to use her family name to achieve the same results as Gwen. 

Gwen stood near Morgana and wrung her hands. “We should call him. Or rather, you should.”

Morgana gave her a wary look, “Merlin will be mad at us.”

“I don’t care,” Gwen declared. She felt like she was going crazy not knowing what was happening. “We need to know if he’s alright.”

“Agreed.” Morgana wouldn’t describe her relationship with her older brother as loving. More like an enforced friendship with someone who had to do you favors as long as it didn’t get them into trouble. She wasn’t about to admit, however, that she actually liked her brother and doing favors for him. She dialed his number not even bothering to say hello when he answered. “Arthur, I need your help.”

 

Merlin had wanted to scream from the pain as they asked him questions. ‘When did you last eat? What did you eat? What did you eat last night? When was the last time you went to the bathroom? Does it hurt to urinate? Has your urine smelled or looked odd lately? Have you had your appendix out?’ He didn’t notice at all when they inserted a needle for a drip, put on an oxygen mask, attached a blood pressure cuff, an oxygen monitor or when they had removed his shoes and clothes. When the pain finally relented a bit he answered their questions. They then proceeded to poke and prod him. As the doctor pressed about on his lower abdomen he could just tell by the look on his face he was surprised. Before he could ask however the pain returned with a vengeance. 

 

Arthur stared at his phone for a moment before he slipped it back into his pocket. He knew the second Morgana had said Merlin’s name he was going to do whatever she asked. As he made his way through the hospital to the A&E he thought of the last time he had seen Merlin. The heartbreak he had caused when he had chosen his father over Merlin. It had made him absolutely miserable so he had done the only thing he could think to do. He had thrown himself full bore into his medical career, ignoring his father’s attempts to set him up and Morgana’s attempts to get him to socialize. It had been a mistake, possibly the worst he had ever made. Despite desperately wanting to see Merlin, he had stayed away not wanting to cause him any more pain. 

The A&E was quiet for a Saturday afternoon. Arthur’s hopes to slip into a chaotic A&E unnoticed were dashed when he entered the department. Freya merely smiled as she pointed down the hall to room 3. As he approached the room he nearly ran into the doctor exiting. “Edwin.”

Dr. Muirden looked at Arthur with surprise, “Arthur. Do you need something?”

“I came to check on a friend,” His voice felt tight as he said the last word. “Merlin Emrys.”

Edwin shifted on his feet. “We are still working him up, but he’s stable. You can see him if you want.” 

“I don’t know,” Arthur said hesitantly.

Edwin looked him in the eye. They weren’t close friends but they went for a drink together every once in awhile. “I do. I’ve called for a consult so you have a few minutes.” Arthur looked at him for the time it took to take a deep breath. He then nodded before stepping into the room. 

The dark haired man on the bed looked pale, tired and sweaty. The hospital gown did absolutely nothing for him but Merlin was still one of the beautiful men he had ever seen. 

Merlin looked up to see Arthur, “What the hell are you doing here?” A thought then suddenly occurred to him and he felt panicky. “Oh my god, I’m dying. They called you because I’m dying.”

Arthur felt terrible that Merlin thought they called him because he was dying. “You aren’t dying,” he tried to reassure. “Morgana called me. They won’t let her or Gwen know anything. They’re very worried.”

“Oh.” Merlin nodded. “Ok.”

Arthur looked down at his hands nervously, “I was worried too.” When he looked back up it was to see Merlin’s face grimace with pain before he cried out. He didn’t hesitate to step forward and take his hand. Merlin squeezed it with everything he had as the pain took over. 

As Merlin writhed a bit, Edwin returned with two doctors and a nurse in tow. Arthur recognized Dr. Wilson and swallowed hard a bit. His presence bothered him intensely as he thought of what that meant. The other doctor he didn’t recognize at all. He waited a moment for Merlin to come round. “I’ll just go now.”

Merlin cast an eye around nervously, “Please stay.”

The look of fear on Merlin’s face got to him. “Ok.”

Dr. Muirden stepped forward, “Merlin, I have asked Specialist Alice Collins and Dr. Gaius Wilson to examine you.” He intentionally left off Alice’s specialty. He didn’t want to alarm the man with his diagnosis until they were sure.

Dr. Gaius Wilson was an older man with shoulder length white hair wearing what looked like a dashiki shirt under his white coat. He had an odd herbal smell about him but his professional demeanor was reassuring. Alice Collins was an older woman with reddish gray hair pulled back into a braid and a kind, wrinkled face. “Hello Merlin. I’m just going to give your abdomen a feel while Dr. Wilson listens.” She pulled back the sheet and pressed around on his abdomen for a moment while Gaius pulled out his stethoscope. As they worked, the nurse brought over a portable sonogram making certain the screen was faced away from the patient and turned the machine on. Alice smiled kindly at Merlin. “We just want to confirm our diagnosis.”

Merlin looked up at Arthur to see a tight look on his face. He ignored it in favor of watching them squeeze a warm gel on his abdomen. As they pressed the the sonogram wand to his abdomen he cried out in pain and squeezed Arthur’s hand tightly. “Oh god it hurts. Make it stop!”

Dr. Wilson handed the wand back to the nurse and waited until Merlin was finished. “We have confirmed our diagnosis.” The doctor patted him on the arm. “You’re pregnant.”

Merlin stared at him incredulously. “That’s impossible.”

Arthur tried to get his hand back. The thought of Merlin with someone else hurt too much. “I think I will give you some privacy.”

Merlin refused to let go. “You aren’t going anywhere Captain Wonderpants.” Arthur turned three shades of red but stayed where he was.

Alice turned the sonogram screen so that he could see the black and white image. “The sonogram is showing you are pregnant Mr. Emrys. The baby appears to be at least 32 weeks. As for the pain, it’s because you’re in labor.”

Merlin suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Everything was spinning and the room looked fuzzy. This couldn’t be real. He looked up at Arthur. “This is all your fault,” he said as he felt another contraction hit him.

Dr. Wilson gestured for the nurse to get a couple of orderlies. “We need to get you moved immediately to paternity. I suspect it won’t be long.”

As they wheeled Merlin from the room, Arthur found himself following. His couldn’t get Merlin’s words out of his head. This is all your fault. It wasn’t all his fault but he could be partly to blame. As they entered the lift, his phone rang. “Morgana,” he said to Merlin. He flipped it open, said “I’ll have to call you back,” before he closed it and turned it off.

As soon as they arrived, they moved Merlin to a birthing bed and attached various monitors. As soon as they had his feet in position, Dr. Wilson donned a pair of gloves and performed a personal exam just as Merlin had another contraction. 

“I want drugs!” Merlin nearly screamed. Arthur immediately took his hand again.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” Gaius said as he pulled off his gloves. “You are completely effaced and fully dilated.”

“What does that mean?” Merlin asked through gritted teeth.

Alice stepped up at the moment dressed in a plastic gown with gloves. “It means you are about to have a baby. Now on the next contraction I need you to push.”

Merlin grabbed desperately at Arthur’s arm. “Do something. I don’t want to do this. Please. I’m scared.”

Something about seeing the person he cared about most terrified and in pain freed something up inside. “I’m right here and I’m not going to leave you.”

“Promise?” Merlin pulled Arthur’s hand to his chest.

Arthur smiled, “I promise.”

Alice spoke up, “Ok Merlin, I can see a big one coming. You are really far along so this shouldn’t take much.”

Merlin tightened his grip on Arthur’s hand. Arthur in turn brought Merlin’s hand to his lips. As the contraction hit him Merlin pushed as hard as he could and in doing so found some of the relief he was seeking. 

Alice’s voice had a calm excitement, “That’s it. I can see the head.”

Arthur moved down a bit to look, “Oh my god Merlin, you should see this.”

“I would prefer not,” Merlin said in a pain laced voice.

“Ok, let’s have a big push again.”

Merlin cried out as he pushed. The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced or ever wanted to experience again. 

As Alice said, “I have a head” the door to the room swung open and a livid Dr. Uther Pendragon stomped into the room. “Arthur Pendragon, I demand you leave here at once.”

Arthur simply smiled at Merlin, never taking his eyes off him. “You can stay or you can go Father, but I am not leaving.”

Uther started to speak, “You have not heard..”

Merlin cut him off as he screamed, “GET OUT!” They didn’t pay Uther any attention as he stomped from the room.

Alice didn’t seem to notice any of the family drama. She was totally focused on her job. “Ok Merlin, I need one really big push.”

As he pushed Merlin felt as though he were being cleaved in two and ripped apart at the same time. It hurt so much that his attempt to scream came out as a strangled cry that left him working to catch his breath. Then suddenly he felt it let go and slip free.

Arthur almost screamed himself from the pressure Merlin had been able to exert on his hand. As the pressure released he heard it. The sound of a baby crying.

“It’s a girl,” Alice held up the baby for them to see. She then looked at Arthur. “Do you want to cut the cord?”

Merlin stared incredulously as Arthur cut the baby’s umbilical cord and then as Alice handed the baby to a doctor and a group of nurses that had slipped into the room unnoticed. As he watched, Arthur gave him a kiss on the head. “I meant every word.”

Merlin turned to look at him. “Don’t think that fixes anything.”

“I know,” Arthur said contritely. 

“You have a lot to make up for,” He said sternly.

“I know.” Arthur licked his lips nervously before continuing. “Leaving you was the biggest mistake I have ever made.”

Merlin blinked back the tears forming in his eyes. He turned away to watch a nurse wipe down his daughter. “You really hurt me Arthur. You broke my heart.”

“I will never forgive myself for that,” Arthur declared earnestly. “And if you give me the chance, I will do everything I can to make up for it.”

One of the nurses wrapped the baby in a blanket, slid a little pink hat onto head and brought her to Merlin. “She’s a beautiful, healthy girl.”

Merlin took the baby into his arms smiling at her in amazement. Arthur reached out and stroked her cheek.

Alice came over to admire the baby, “Do you have a name?”

Merlin didn’t look away from the baby, “Asher.”

Arthur took out his phone and took a picture. He ignored all the messages he had received as he sent a message to Morgana. He then leaned down to kiss Asher on the head. “This could be a place to start if you let it be.”

Merlin smiled up at him, “Yeah, it could be.”

**Author's Note:**

> I saw my first episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.


End file.
